The Wellbeing of ChildrenIdeas for discussion Education Policy Meeting OECD April 14 2016 Professor Heather Joshi

1. Concepts of well being among adults and children

2. Arenas affecting child well being

3. Dimensions of child well being, measured and unmeasured

4. Differences across and within OECD countries

5. Social gaps in life chances: USA, UK, Australia, Canada

6. Findings for children in 4 developing countries

7. Two child-unfriendly practices

8. Points about measurement and policy

Outline

The economy produces output intended to serve human welfare though the provision of goods and services, which are consumed or accumulated.

GDP does not reflect all aspects of the quality of life. ‘Money is not everything’

Other aspects include interpersonal relationships, security, trust, tolerance, enjoyment of health and the expectation of life chances

‘Well-being is about the harmony that exists between individuals, communities and the universe’ (WHO constitution)

Measurement matters as “Information and statistics are a powerful tool for creating a culture of accountability and for realizing human rights" (UNDP Human Development Report, 2000)

Well being and Economic Performance

Childhood is a time of growth and learning, a complex journey to adulthood

Children are humans in their own right

..but have less direct access to resources, and cannot vote

Need adult support and protection – but also to learn to become responsible for themselves

There are more years of life ahead than for those who are already ‘grown up’

Society needs good citizens and values good nurturing

What’s special about the Well Being of Chilldren?

Human rights Human resources Human capital Social capital Cultural capital Living Standards Life ChancesChild rights and child development are interdependent. Child and parent well being also interdependent.)

Well being, Welfare, Well-becoming and allied concepts

In modern societies people normally become parents by choice to enjoy family life and expect to provide children with:

A safe home, physical and emotional nurture, culture, social links, knowledge, skills, aspirations…..

Some parents may be less well placed to provide these, especially if parenthood unanticipated, if the resources needed turn out to be inadequate

Children’s development may be impeded by lack of family investment, or the transmission of family stress

Arena 1: The family

No family is sufficiently specialised to raise workers with all the skills needed in the modern economy,

Not even in the early years (see OECD ECEC report) when development laid down and social gradients emerge

School (+ health services) can redress family shortfalls in learning, physical and mental health

School can help children acquire non-academic and social skills, and engage in the community

School with others can ensure that children not only pass their exams but develop ‘in the round’.

On the other hand, schools may reinforce inequalities between homes

Arena 2: The role of schooling

The company of other children

The local community

The cultural climate

The nation state

The economy

The built environment and transport systems

The natural environment

Cyber space

Arena 3: Wider society

What makes a Good Childhood ?

Promoting positive well being for children. A report for decision makers in parliament, central government and local areas. The Children’s Society, London 2012

http://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/sites/default/files/tcs/promoting_positive_well-being_for_children_final.pdf

Dimensions of Well being used by OECD in 2015 report ‘How’s Life’?

Not specifically included in Child Well being count

Good Governance

Social cohesion

Ecological Efficiency

Natural capital

Human Capital

Spiritual and cultural fulfilment

Adult Work/life Balance

Time use /leisure

Indicators on children’s families

1 Income and Wealth

2 Jobs and earnings

3 Housing conditions

4 Environmental quality

Specific to children

5 Health status

6 Education and skills

7 Civic engagement

8 Social and family environment

9 Personal security

10 Subjective well-being

General 10 Headings covered for Child well being

28 Detailed indicators of Child Well Being OECD 2015

1. Income and Wealth

Disposable income of households with childrenChild income poverty

2. Jobs and earnings

Children in workless householdsChildren with a long-term unemployed parent

3. Housing conditions

Average rooms per childFamily homes lacking basic facilities

4. Environment Children in homes with poor environmental conditions

5. Health status

Infant mortality

Low birth weight

Self-reported health status

Overweight and obesity

Adolescent suicide rates

Teenage birth rates

6. Education and Skills

PISA mean reading score

PISA creative problem solving scoreYouth not in job/education/training (NEET)

Educational deprivation ( age 15)

7. Civic engagement

Intention to voteCivic participation

8. Social and family environment

Teenagers talking easily to their parents

Students reporting kind, helpful classmates

Students feeling pressure from schoolwork

Students liking schoolTime children spend with their parentsPISA sense of belonging index

9. Personal security

Child homicide ratesBullying

10. Subjective Life satisfaction

Other potential itemsOf varying ease of measurement and relevance by child age and by culture

Breastfeeding Healthy diet Regular sleep Regular meals Physical activity Play (work-life balance for

children) Social and emotional skills

Mental Health Freedom from abuse,

neglect, trafficking and violence

Risky behaviours Trouble with police Use and abuse of social

media,

Child well-being outcomes across OECD countries Most countries in mixed position (How’s Life?, 2015)

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

Share of indicators where a country is among the bottom third performers

Shar

e of

indi

cato

rs w

here

a co

untr

y is

amon

g th

e to

p th

ird p

erfo

rmer

s

High academic scores in East Asia (Japan and Korea in this report)

Best practice for other countries to emulate, or gained at the expense of pressure on children ?

Survey asking students about pressure not conducted in these countries, but Children’s Worlds found Korean children less ‘satisfied with their marks’

No single explanation for high scores in East Asia: teacher quality, teaching methods, curriculum, parenting styles, out of school tuition, peer pressure, motivation, cultural valuation of education

Differences between countries

Jerrim J. (2015) ‘Why do East Asian children perform so well in PISA?’ Oxford Review of Education

PARADOX: USA High Child Poverty + high GDP

% of children aged 0-17 living in households with disposable income below 50% of the median

DNK FINNOR ISL

SVNDEU

AUTSWE

CZEGBR

KOR IRLCHE

NLDFRA

ESTLUX

BELSVK

AUSPOL

OECDNZL

CANJP

NHUN

PRT ITAGRC

USAESP

CHLMEX

TUR ISR

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

2011 2007

The report covers differences by age, gender, migration, but the most pervasive are by socio-economic status

N more affluent children tend to have better health and a happier school life.

N Less affluent children more likely to be bullied, or not intend to vote, and have ..

N lower life satisfaction, lower reading scores, less communication with parents

It concludes..‘Growing inequality among parents ends up sapping opportunities available to their children’

Within-country differences

Low current resources are associated with many aspects of low current well-being, in the 2015 report. What about well-becoming, life chances through time?What are the prospects of escaping poverty?Is childhood inequality compensated by social mobility?For this we need evidence which follows individual children through time.

Declining Equality of Opportunity in USA

Putnam tells of a growing gap in the life chances of Americans in the life stories of successive generations by home background. In the 1950s the social capital in tight knit communities enabled ‘all boats to float’ on a rising tide of economic opportunity. ‘Our kids’ refers to communities taking an interest in ‘other people’s kids’. The dream faded for many born towards the end of the century. The picture changed to one of ‘diverging destinies’ (McLanahan )

Children’s Achievement gaps in English-speaking countries

This book compares data following the same children from birth to age 11 in USA, UK, Australia and Canada. Compared to USA, the other countries start with smaller achievement gaps and tend to be more successful at closing them during primary school.

https://www.russellsage.org/publications/too-many-children-left-behind

  U.S. U.K. Australia Canada

Survey name

Early Childhood Longitudinal

Study, Kindergarten

Cohort (ECLS-K)

Millennium Cohort Study

(MCS)

Longitudinal Study of Australian

Children Kindergarten

Cohort (LSAC-K)

National Longitudinal

Study of Children and

Youth (NLSCY)

Cohort birth dates 1992-93  2000-02 1999-2000 1991-94

Common ages when children assessed

5, 9, 11 5, 7, 11 5, 9, 11 5, 7, 9, 11

Too Many Children Left BehindCohort studies providing evidence

Sample size 8,370 11,762 3,940 4,346

Source: Bradbury et al 2015

Gap attributable to early years biggest in USA which also shows more subsequent divergence to at age 11. Preventing inequalities emerging in early years is very important, but what happens once school starts, in and out of school, contributes to differences.

Achievement gaps during primary schooling: within USA, UK and Australia

Scores are standard deviations, attribution allows for regression to mean. Not available for Canada.Source: Bradbury et al 2015

AUSTRALIA

UK

USA

0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2

Gap in reading score at 11 between children with high and low educated parents

Attributed to initial pre-primary differencesAttributed to subsequent divergence

Children with Teenage Mothers: intergenerational divergence

High Medium Low0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

3%

12%

21%

Parental education

Perc

enta

ge o

f chi

ldre

n bo

rn to

a te

enag

e m

othe

r

United States

United King-dom

Canada

Australia

One in 5 children in low educated US families were born to a teen mother, but only 3% in high educated families

Source: Bradbury et al 2015

Evidence from outside OECD: YOUNG LIVES STUDY

DFID-funded.www.younglives.org.uk

Vietnam has high achievement at all social levels: effective schools

Ethiopia India Peru Vietnam300

350

400

450

500

550

0102030405060708090

Maths scores of 12 year-olds in 4 Young Lives countries, 2006

median math score at 12% over min score 400, right hand scale

Maths as tested in TIMSSFewer students lag behind in Vietnam.

Source: A Singh ( 2014) Emergence and Evolution of Learning Gapsacross Countries: Panel Evidence from Ethiopia, India, Peru and Vietnam. Young Lives, Oxford

Discipline and child rights

Corporal punishment in schools Prevalent in Young Lives countries despite laws against it Particularly affects disadvantaged students Affects liking school and drop out Punishment at age 8 associated with poor social/ emotional skills and

cognitive scores at 12 Study concludes: Break a culture of violence in schools and improve

teacher training. Harsh discipline from parents also associated with poor

outcomes in rich countries (eg Putnam, 2015).

M O Portela & K Pells (2015) Corporal Punishment in Schools Longitudinal Evidence from Ethiopia, India Peru and Viet Nam. UNICEF Innocenti office of Research Discussion paper 2015-2

Grade repetition – another driver of disillusionment and inequality

High Medium Low0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

11%

17%

26%

Parental education

Perc

ent o

f chi

ldre

n re

tain

ed b

y 5t

h gr

ade

United States

Canada

Australia

Rates are much higher in the US than elsewhere, and noticeably higher among low-SES children

Source: Bradbury et al 2015

Ideally indicators should be holistic but the choice will be affected by measurability, timelieness and actionability

Balance among dimensions is important

Child’s age affects whether they can provide their own voice.

Try to choose indicators of the present which also help predicting future well being

Longitudinal data useful to understand drivers of poor outcomes and monitor divergence

Children, like other people have prediction-defying idiosyncracies

Points about what to measure

Measure what counts, rather than only considering what happens to be measured

Allow children take responsibility for themselves neither too late nor too early

Co-ordinate action by parents, schools, wider services

Ministers with responsibility across different policy areas should aim to ensure a balance of provisions for young people of different ages and backgrounds

Joining up policies easier if the data on child well being is comprehensive, comparable and reliable

Thanks to the efforts of the child indicators community, children need not be out of sight nor out of mind.

The ‘level playing field’ should permit fun as well as competition.

Finally, what should be done?

Thank you

spare

Age of childN Families with small children show lower economic resources, important for early years development (OECD ECEC Network).

N Indicators tend to show more about adolescents’ quality of life.

GenderN Not great differences between girls’ and boy’s scores in contemporary OECD countries.

N Girls more concerned about their bodies in some countries in Children’s World Survey.

N Teenage motherhood a risk for girls, in a few countries, also jeopardising life chances of the offspring (whether or not birth was intended).

Differences within countries